by Cheree Alsop
“It’s beautiful; I like the simple design,” Meredith replied.
Uncertain which ring he should pick and worried about choosing one Siale might not like, Alex excused himself and wandered around the store again.
Tennison fell in beside him. “Having a hard time?”
Alex sighed. “Yes. Who would’ve thought it’d be this hard? There are so many rings here they all start to look the same. What if I pick the wrong one?”
Tennison tipped his head back toward Cassie. “I know which one I’m getting.”
Alex stared at him. “What?”
Tennison winked and continued down the aisle. Alex stared after his sister’s boyfriend. He tried to picture her getting engaged. They felt so young, but after everything, living to see seventeen felt like an accomplishment. He knew Cassie would be happy with Tennison. The tall, lanky werewolf leaned over a display close to the end of the store.
“Hey, how about one of these?” he asked.
Curious, Alex made his way to the werewolf’s side. He peered down into the case of what turned out to be vintage rings that were definitely of an older make than the others in the store. They were beautiful and had their own style.
One in particular stood out. It had a diamond in the middle with seven small light purple stones around it that reminded Alex of the dress Siale had worn to the prom. Purple set off her gray eyes so beautifully and was her favorite color.
“Did you find another ring that strikes your interest?” the young saleswoman asked.
“Can I see that one?”
She lifted it out with a warm smile and set it in his palm. Alex knew immediately that he had found the right one. The white gold setting was the perfect accent for the simple diamond.
“I like that one, too,” the saleswoman said. “The purple gemstones are amethyst. European soldiers believed amethyst protected them in battle back in medieval times.” At Alex’s curious look, a blush ran across her cheeks. “Sorry. I love mythology behind gemstones. It’s fascinating.”
“It is,” Alex agreed. He studied the ring, picturing it on Siale’s finger. It was perfect. Even the thought of the amethyst providing protection was a reassuring one, even if it was just a myth. The world used to think werewolves were myths, too. He nodded. “This is the one.”
“Do you know her size?” the woman asked.
Alex stared at her. He hadn’t stopped to think about things like finger size. Of course girls had different sized fingers. He hadn’t planned on being asked the question.
“Here,” Cassie said, showing up at his elbow. “This should help.”
She held a silver band with a little green stone in the middle that Alex had seen Siale wear on occasion.
“Where did you get that?” he asked, amazed.
Cassie shrugged, her eyes twinkling. “When Mom told me your plans, I figured I’d better have your back.”
“Thanks,” Alex told her with relief.
The saleswoman took the ring and compared the two. “I don’t think this is going to need any sizing.” She smiled at Alex. “You have an exact match.”
Alex waited at the front of the store while Jaze, Nikki, and Meredith took care of the purchasing part. He had offered to earn the money doing jobs around the school to pay for the ring himself, but Jaze had told him that instead, he would pay him for the hours he had spent freeing werewolves.
“You trained for it and you’re improving the quality of the lives of those you free. You should get paid for it,” Jaze explained.
“But I didn’t do it for money,” Alex protested.
Jaze nodded. “That’s why you’re getting paid. Consider this a first installment.”
Alex wandered outside. He leaned against the building and took a deep breath of the warm summer air.
“When are you due?” Gem’s excited voice carried from the parking lot behind the jewelry store.
“We’re about three months along,” Grace answered. “I’m thinking the middle of November.”
“December for us,” Gem told her.
“I’m so happy for you!” Grace exclaimed.
“Yeah, congratulations,” Dray told them.
Kaynan chuckled. “Look at us. Turning into old married couples soon to have kids of our own. Did you hear that Jaze and Nikki are expecting again?”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat. He put a hand to it. It didn’t hurt like it used to. He was amazed how normal it felt after Drogan had revived him. The thought that his insane half-brother had saved his life settled over him uneasily. He turned his attention back to the professors’ discussion as much to get away from his own thoughts as to hear what they were talking about.
“Yes, and Colleen and Rafe are going to have their own little one in September. They’ve got us all beat,” Kaynan said with pride in his voice for his sister. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Lyra and Mouse are close behind. It’s about time to start settling down.”
“I’d love a quiet home with a little yard and a white picket fence,” Gem said with a small sigh. “It’d be a great place to raise a little one.”
“We should all set up in the same neighborhood,” Grace said.
“We’re forgetting one thing.” Dray’s voice was quiet and grounding. He paused, then said, “Jaze.”
The silence that fell over the group was short-lived.
“Of course,” Kaynan replied. “We’ll stay at the Academy for as long as Jaze and Nikki need us. There’s no way we’d abandon him with everything that’s going on.”
“Yes,” Grace agreed. “As nice as it would be to settle down in homes of our own, we’re there for the school.”
“We owe it to Jaze and Vicki. That amazing woman gave us a home when we had nowhere else to go,” Gem said. Alex could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s nice to do our part to give back.”
“It really is,” Dray said.
The rest of the werewolves left the store. Alex fell in beside them, accepting the small velvet box Meredith held out to him.
“Are you okay?” his mother asked.
Alex nodded, chasing away the feeling of sadness that had settled over him. “I’m fine,” he said. “A bit nervous, I guess.”
Meredith smiled. “You’re going to do great. Siale will love the ring. It’s perfect.”
Alex slipped the ring box into his pocket. “Thank you for your help.” He tried to keep in the conversation during the trip back to the Academy, but he couldn’t help thinking of the professors and their want for a normal life. He had never thought of the fact that the Academy was also keeping them from having their own homes and raising their families. Being in charge of so many students, a lot of them year round, had to take its toll.
“Are you okay, Alex?” Gem asked a few hours later while she cut his hair.
“Yeah, you’re pretty quiet,” Cassie noted from her seat in the corner.
Alex tried not to move his head as he glanced at his sister. “Is my haircut the most entertaining thing going on right now?”
Cassie gave a dramatic sigh. “Unfortunately. I’m all packed for tomorrow morning and Tennison fell asleep after helping Dray in the greenhouse all afternoon. His clothes smell like fertilizer; it’s pretty bad. Have you smelled it in there?”
Gem laughed from behind Alex. “Dray’s in his element. I think he misses the farm sometimes.”
Alex saw an opening to ask her what was on his mind. “Do you miss it, too?”
Gem’s scissors paused in their rhythmic snipping. “I do, a bit,” she admitted. She drew the comb through Alex’s hair and cut it again. “When we moved to farm country, it felt like the middle of nowhere. The town was so small and there were fields as far as the eye could see.”
“You sound like you learned to love it,” Cassie noted.
“I did,” Gem replied. “I met Dray, and he taught me that the fields were full of wheat, alfalfa, and corn. I learned how to swath hay and flood irrigate.” She crossed in front of Alex and combed through his hair, ch
ecking the length of the ends as she smiled and said, “I even learned to like fertilizing.”
Cassie made a face in the corner.
Gem laughed. “I know, right? I guess that’s when you know you belong somewhere.”
“Do you want to go back?” Alex asked.
Gem looked at him as if realizing how serious he was about the questioning. “Maybe eventually,” she finally answered. “When I’m not needed here.” She took a step back and gave Alex’s hair a critical look. Her hand strayed unconsciously to her stomach as she studied him. “I think that’ll help with everyone being so star-struck around you, Mr. Davies.”
Alex chuckled and rose from the chair. He accepted the hand mirror she held out. His black hair was shorter than he was used to, and made him look older.
“It’s a good look for you,” Cassie told him. “Siale’s going to wonder where her scruffy werewolf went.”
“Scruffy?” Alex repeated with mock indignity.
Gem laughed. “I don’t know if I would go with scruffy, but you were looking a bit shaggy. Now you’re ready for city life.”
Alex smiled. “Thank you, professor.”
“Any time,” she replied, twirling her scissors around her finger. “Let me know if you want me to dye your hair. You’d look good with red tips.”
Alex laughed. “I think I’ll pass this time.”
Gem shrugged, her blue eyes twinkling. “Your loss.”
Cassie caught up to Alex on his way down the hall. “Alex, guess what?”
“What?” he asked.
“I think Gem’s pregnant! Did you see all the signs? She’s definitely expecting,” his sister exclaimed, trying to say it quietly while practically shouting in her excitement.
Alex nodded. “I know.”
Cassie stopped dead in the hallway. “You saw it, too? I didn’t think you were paying attention. You seemed detached and—”
Alex cut her off before she asked him what he had been thinking about. “I knew back at the ring store. I overheard the professors talking. Kaynan and Grace are expecting, too, and Colleen and Rafe. I think Jaze and Nikki are going to have another baby, as well.”
Cassie’s hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes were so wide it looked like she was about to explode.
“Cassie?” Alex asked with a hint of worry.
She shook her head with her hand still over her mouth. “I know it’s supposed to be a secret,” she said, her voice muffled behind her fingers. “But I want to tell everyone.”
Alex put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a serious look. “You can’t tell anyone. If they choose to keep it a secret, that’s their choice. Let them tell when they’re ready.”
Cassie nodded without taking her hand away.
“Can I trust you?” Alex asked.
Cassie nodded again. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
Alex rolled his eyes and pulled her hand away. “Seriously, Cass. They deserve their privacy. It’s got to be hard trying to raise a family at this school.”
Cassie nodded. She followed Alex to the stairs. He started up.
“Hey, Alex?”
He paused halfway to the top and turned. “Yeah?”
“I never realized you cared so much.”
Her words hurt. Alex pushed the feeling down and watched her, wondering what she was getting at. “Of course I care. Why wouldn’t I?”
Cassie took two hesitant steps up the stairs as if she realized her words had been a bit harsh. “I mean, you’re so busy trying to get Drogan and protecting everyone, sometimes it’s like you don’t see who’s in front of you.”
Alex eased down to sit on the steps. He linked his hands together, studying them. “I get so caught up with trying to stop him from hurting those I love that I forget to pay attention to my loved ones.” He looked down at his sister. “Which do you think is worse?”
Cassie leaned against the wall and gave her brother a fond look. “You don’t have to worry so much, Alex. We know why you do what you do. You care. Sometimes you’re just busy saving the world.” Her smile deepened. “Do you think Superman ever forgot to have breakfast with his sister like we used to?”
Alex couldn’t help but smile back. “I don’t think Superman had a sister. Or maybe he did. I don’t remember. The point is, we’ll have breakfast together.”
“Promise?”
Alex nodded. “In fact.” He headed back down the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Cassie asked when he passed her.
“Come on,” Alex called over his shoulder. “You’re going to miss it!”
She jogged to catch up to him. “Miss what?” she asked when she reached his side.
Alex pushed one of the doors open to the Great Hall and made his way to the kitchen. A quick peek inside showed that it was empty.
“Cook Jerald must be asleep.”
“Yeah,” Cassie agreed. “Like most decent werewolves.”
Alex grinned. “Good thing we’re not decent.” He crossed to the refrigerator and opened it. A glance inside showed exactly what he was looking for.
“Alex, what are you...” Cassie’s voice died away at the sight of the egg and cheese quiche Alex withdrew.
“Why wait for breakfast?” Alex asked.
“Seriously?” Cassie exclaimed. “We could get in trouble.”
Alex winked at her. “By the time Cook Jerald finds out, we’ll be halfway across the country.”
Cassie laughed. “Fine, but if you get me in trouble...”
“You know it’ll be worth it,” Alex concluded.
Cassie gave the quiche a long look. Alex knew it was her favorite food. Luckily, Cook Jerald usually kept a pie or two in the fridge in case the professors got hungry or if Jaze’s team got back at an early hour from one of their missions. There was no way Cassie could say no.
“Yes, it will,” she finally agreed. She grabbed two forks from the tray and joined him at one of the tables.
Chapter Thirteen
Siale rushed out as soon as the car reached the warehouse. Red followed after her at a more sedate pace, but with a welcoming smile on his face.
Alex’s girlfriend stopped as soon as Alex got out. She stared at him. “You look really different,” she said.
Alex suddenly felt self-conscious about his haircut. “Gem did it. You don’t like it?”
Siale ran her hand through his hair. “It’s a lot shorter than I’ve ever seen you wear it,” she said.
Alex fought back the urge to close his eyes at the tingles that ran through his skin from her touch.
She nodded. “I really like it.” She looked up into his eyes. “You look really handsome.”
“See,” Cassie said from behind him. “I told you Siale would like it.”
She and Siale hugged. Alex fought back a smile at the thought that the pair would soon be sisters-in-law. It was obvious both of them would be happy about the relationship.
“Good to see you again,” Red said. He shook Alex’s hand. “And you as well,” he told Tennison. “We have your rooms ready.” He tipped his head to indicate the warehouse and told Alex, “We’ve been busy since you were last here. I think you’ll like what we’ve done with the place.”
Siale looped her arm through Alex’s and led them inside. To Alex’s amazement, it had undergone a lot of changes since his last visit with Boris. The inside of the building had been changed from a regular warehouse to a huge common room with individual rooms branching away for living quarters. More werewolves than he remembered occupied the area. They passed children playing ball and board games in the main room, families in the smaller television room, and others working on a few more improvements at the end of the hallway.
Siale greeted those they passed. It touched Alex that she knew all of their names. She led them to three bedrooms at the end of a branching hallway.
“It’s a little quieter over here,” she said. “You might sleep better than by the families. Sometimes the kids like to stay up and play.�
�
“This is amazing,” Alex told her. “Your dad’s really done a lot with the place.”
“Yeah,” Cassie agreed. “How many families stay here?”
Siale thought about it for a moment. “Four of the families are still here from before I went to the Academy, but Dad’s welcomed a few more. He says they come and go depending on their circumstances.”
“It’s great that you’re able to help them here,” Tennison said. “I’m sure they appreciate it.”
“It’s nice to be safe,” Siale replied.
The words matched exactly how Alex felt. They had taken great care to ensure that Drogan knew he was no longer at the Academy. Tracks, the car, and flight tickets wouldn’t be hard for the Extremist to follow, and then to all appearances, the teenage werewolves disappeared off the face of the earth. Thanks to Red’s connections, they were able to sneak through the airport’s food delivery entrance and leave in one of the cargo trucks. They then met the car outside the airport.
As stressful as it had been to get away, Alex felt like he could breathe again without looking over his shoulder. The thought that Drogan watched his every step had vanished. He smiled back at Siale.
“I really like it here,” he said. The words brought an answering smile and a kiss from her.
After Alex, Cassie, and Tennison had settled their stuff in three of the spare rooms, Siale led them to where Red waited in the dining room. Alex’s first visit to the warehouse with Boris had revealed a werewolf safe haven. Now, Red had turned it into so much more. He could hear werewolves cooking in the kitchen, and the huge tables in the dining room let him know just how many depended on the warehouse for food and shelter.
“This is an incredible place,” Cassie told Red.
Siale’s father smiled. “We’re proud of it.” He gave his daughter a warm look. “It’s better now that I have family to share it with.”
Siale nodded. “When I found out what my dad was doing here, I told him I needed to be a part of it. It’s so neat to give werewolves a place of safety.”
“Jaze Carso has done it to such a greater extent, but it’s nice to do my share. It’s home,” Red replied. He motioned for them to take a seat at the nearest table. “By the smell of things, Jassa will have dinner ready. You don’t want to miss her home cooking.”
